Safety boot binding for skis

ABSTRACT

The present invention concerns a safety binding for securing a boot on a ski, in which an elastic element is made part of the kinematic transmission chain between the safety locking mechanism and the boot retaining element, whereby the latter is capable of a certain elastic play before release under the action of abnormal forces exerted by the boot on the boot retaining element.

United States Patent [1 1 Salomon Nov. 20, 1973 SAFETY BOOT BINDING FOR SKIS [76] Inventor: Georges P. J. Salomon, 34 de Loverchy Ave., Annecy, Hautesavoie, France [22] Filed: Sept. 18, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 73,592

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 705,554, Feb. 14, 1968, Pat. No.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 25, 1967 'France 6792674 Sept. 5, 1967 France 67120065 [52] US. Cl. 280/11.35 T [51] Int. Cl. A63c 9/00 [58] Field of Search 280/11.35 T

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,823,922 2/1958 Berlenbach 280/11.35 T

Beyl 280/11.35 T

3,430,971 3/1969 Berlenach 280/11.35 T 3,000,644 9/1961 Beyl 280/1l.35 T 3,129,951 4/1964 Lusser 280/ll.35 T

Primary ExaminerRobert R. Song Attorney-Pierre Lesperance [5 7 ABSTRACT The present invention concerns a safety binding for securing a boot on a ski, in which an elastic element is made part of the kinematic transmission chain between the safety locking mechanism and the boot retaining element, whereby the latter is capable of a certain elastic play before release under the action of abnormal forces exerted by the boot on the boot retaining element.

8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PMENTED NOV 2 0 975 SHEET l 0F FIG] PAIENTED um 20 1975 SHEET 2 SF P I I xnvzo I973 3.773. 340

SHEET 3 OF 5 Pmmmunvzo um 3773) 340 sum u BF 5 I I I I SAFETY BOOT BINDING FOR SKIS This is a division of application Ser. No. 705554 filed Feb. 14, 1968, now US. Pat. No. 3,529,844.

The present invention relates to a safety binding for securing a boot on a ski.

Known safety binding of the character described re lease the boot in an abrupt and fast manner. This arrangement has the disadvantage of not absorbing forces which are not yet dangerous for the user, causing abrupt boot release and the fall of the user.

The general object of the invention is to obviate the above-mentioned disadvantage in a simple and efficient manner.

In accordance with the invention, an elastic element is interposed in the kinematic transmission chain be tween the boot retaining element and the safety locking mechanism, whereby abnormal forces exerted by the user's boot on the boot retaining element will cause said boot retaining element to effect a certain elastic movement before the safety locking mechanism is constrained to completely release the boot retaining element.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the safety locking mechanism and the kinematic transmission chain consist of a spring element acting on a lever on which a roller carrying lever is oscillatably mounted, the roller engaging a corresponding notch in the boot retaining element, a spring element being disposed between said two levers.

The present invention will be more clearly understood by referring to the following description and to the annexed drawings showing various embodiments in a non-limitative manner.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a longitudinal section of a safety boot binding for skis in accordance with a first embodiment, in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, showing the binding in partially open position;

FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are longitudinal sections of various embodiments of the invention in closed position; and

FIG. is a longitudinal section of the safety binding in accordance with FIG. 9, in partially open position. Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, in FIG. 1 the users boot 1 is secured on a ski 2 by means of a jaw 3 pivoted on a pivot 6 of a housing 7 of the binding in accordance withthe invention.

An arm 8 is also pivoted on pivot 6 and a coil spring 9 is interposed between flange 3 of jaw 3 and flange 8' of arm 8. Therefore, when jaw 3 is urged upwardly by the users boot I, as shown in FIG. 2, it will first cause ing 7.

Spring-pressed piston 10 bears against a lever 17 pivoted in housing 7 at 17' and carrying a roller 16 engageable with a notch 8'. of arm 8. Moreover, am 8, when pivoting upwardly, also causes upward pivotal movement of a treadle I9, which is pivoted to housing 7 at 20, said being engaged by a stud 18 carried by arm v2 8 and protruding from housing 7 to be engaged by the bottom face of the users boot. Thus, after release of the safety binding, treadle l9 enables re-cocking of the bindings by simple downward pressure of the heeljof the users boot 1. i V v Preferably, as shown in FIG. I, a stud 21 limitszthe pivotal movement of arm 8 relative to. jaw 3'.

In FIG. 3, a boot retaining jaw is pivoted at 30' in housing 29 and its lower end is attached to a piston rod of a piston 31 adapted to ,compressa compression spring 32 within a slide element 33, which is slidably mounted in guideways 34 of the base plate of housing 29.

When the jaw 30 is caused to move upwardly, the spring 32 is compressed until the head 35 of the piston rod abuts the slide element 33 which is caused to move towards boot 1, thereby forcing the release of a ball type safety locking mechanism which comprises a cap screw 37 adjustably screwed in housing 29 and pressing by means of a coil spring 38 a ball 36, so that the latter will normally engage a notch 33 in slide element 33.

In FIG. 4, the elastic element consists of a tension spring 40 interconnecting a boot retaining jaw 41 and a crank arm 42, said jaw and crank arm being both pivoted on a pivot 43 mounted in housing 39. The jaw 41, beyond a predetermined upward pivotal movement, will cause rotation of carnk arm 42 by the arm portion 44 of the jaw 41 abutting crank arm 42, thereby causing release of the spring-pressedball 45 from out of the notch 43 of the crank arm 42.

The spring-pressed ball 45 is adjustable by means of the screw 46 threaded in housing 39 and locked in position by lock nut 47.

The embodiment of FIG. 5 is differentiated from the embodiment of FIG. 4 in that the elastic element connecting the jaw 50 to the crank arm 51, which intum is under the action of the spring-pressed adjustable ball lock 52, is a spring blade 53 secured to the crank arm 51 and pressing on the jaw 50.

An abutment 54 which is integral with crank arm 51, will abut the jaw 50 during upward movement of said jaw only after the spring blade 53 has been fully stressed.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, two compression coil springs and 61 are mounted in parallel, the first and weaker one surrounding the second and assuring the elastic pivotal movement of a jaw 62, the second stronger spring 61 urging the locking ball 63 against a ramp 64 of the jaw 62, said ball releasing the jaw only when the rim 65 of the slidable sleeve 66 enclosing the safety locking mechanism, abuts against face 67 of the clamp housing.

In FIG. 7, a rubber-like block 70 is inserted between v jaw 71 for retaining a users boot '1 and a cam 72 re ceiving the locking action of the spring-pressed adjustable ball lock mechanism 73, the jaw and the cam being pivotally mounted on a common shaft 74. Moreover, an abutment 75 of the cam 72 serves to transmit the forces exerted by the users boot to the locking mechanism while preventing complete compression of the rubber-like block 70.

In FIG. 8, the locking mechanism is a piston spring pressed against a flat of a shaft 81, the latter being connected to a boot retaining jaw 82 by the interposition of a rubber bushing 83 of the silent block type, which enables a slight angular elastic movement between the jaw and the shaft.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the boot 1 is secured on the ski 2 by means of a jaw, or boot retaining element 90, pivoted on a shaft 91 of the housing 92, itself secured on top of the ski by means of screws, not shown, on the drawing.

The jaw 90 is locked in a boot retaining position by means of a compression coil spring 93, the compression of which is adjusted by a cap screw 96 screwed in the housing 92. The coil spring 93 bears against a main lever 97 pivotally mounted on a shaft 98 secured to the housing.

n the main lever 97 can oscillate a second lever 99 carrying at its free end a locking roller 100 adapted to engage a'notch 101 of the jaw 90.

A compression coil spring 102 is disposed between the lever 99 and the reversing lever 97. When abnormal stresses are exerted by the users boot, the latter tries to open the clamp, as shown by the arrow 103, (see FlG. the jaw 90 will first cause roller 100 and lever 99 to move against the action of spring 102.

lf the forces exerted by the boot which have caused the above movement cease, the jaw 90 is resiliently returned in its original position by means of spring 102. if, on the contrary, the forces continue and exceed a predetermined value considered as dangerous, roller 100 will engage against portion 106 of main lever 97. The latter is thus forced to pivot rearwardly, because the end of the notch 10! now-engages the roller 100; but the rearward pivotal movement of the reversing lever is resisted by the action of the locking spring 93. Once this spring force is overcome, the jaw will com pletely open, the roller 100 rotating on portion 107 of the jaw, said portion 107 being concentric with shaft 91.

For re-cocking binding, the users boot heel is pressed down on the extension 108 of the jaw 90 and closes thelatter. The roller 100 urged by springs 93 and 102 will return to its locking position in engagement with notch 101 of the jaw.

I claim:

1. A safety boot binding for ski comprising: a support base adapted'to be fixed to the ski; a jaw pivotally mounted on a first horizontal axis fixed on said support base transversaly to the longitudinal axis of said ski; said jaw having a front part coacting with said boot; a first lever pivotally mounted on a second fixed axis supported by said base and parallel to said first axis carrying said jaw, said first and second axis being opposite said boot, relative to said front part of said jaw; a first resilient means in abutment, on the first hand, against said base and, on the other hand, against said first lever, and a second lever articulated on said first lever about a third pivoting axis parallel to said first and second axis, and elastically biased in a predetermined position by a second resilient means extending between said first and second layers, said second lever coacting in said predetermined position with a ramp provided on said jaw in order that said jaw retains said boot on the ski.

2. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first resilient means is a helicoidal spring.

3. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second resilient means is a helicoidal spring.

4. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first lever is elastically urged by said first resilient means toward said jaw.

5. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second lever is vertically and upwardly bia'se'd by said second resilient means.

6. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first lever is provided with a lower and an upper stops for said second lever and said second lever is movable between these stops.

7. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second lever is provided with a roller at the end opposite to the third pivoting axis and wherein said ramp provided in said jaw is an arcuate notch with a shape corresponding to that of said roller.

8. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim I wherein said jaw has an extension which is to be pressed by said boot for re'coeking and closing said binding. 

1. A safety boot binding for ski comprising: a support base adapted to be fixed to the ski; a jaw pivotally mounted on a first horizontal axis fixed on said support base transversaly to the longitudinal axis of said ski; said jaw having a front part coacting with said boot; a first lever pivotally mounted on a second fixed axis supported by said base and parallel to said first axis carrying said jaw, said first and second axis being opposite said boot, relative to said front part of said jaw; a first resilient means in abutment, on the first hand, against said base and, on the other hand, against said first lever, and a second lever articulated on said first lever about a third pivoting axis parallel to said first and second axis, and elastically biased in a predetermined position by a second resilient means extending between said first and second layers, said second lever coacting in said predetermined position with a ramp provided on said jaw in order that said jaw retains said boot on the ski.
 2. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first resilient means is a helicoidal spring.
 3. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second resilient means is a helicoidal spring.
 4. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first lever is elastically urged by said first resilient means toward said jaw.
 5. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second lever is vertically and upwardly biased by said second resilient means.
 6. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first lever is provided with a lower and an upper stops for said second lever and said second lever is movable between these stops.
 7. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second lever is provided with a roller at the end opposite to the third pivoting axis and wherein said ramp provided in said jaw is an arcuate notch with a shape corresponding to that of said roller.
 8. A safety boot binding as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jaw has an extension which is to be pressed by said boot for re-cocking and closing said binding. 